It’s the Canada Day long weekend! Everyone is excited to get out of town and head to cottages or anywhere not in the city. Especially because here in Toronto, we are amid a huge heat. A classic Canadian brunch drink (aka hangover cure) is a Caesar cocktail. Similar to a bloody mary but with clamato juice, which is a tomato juice that contains clam juice. (Ew). There is a certain briny tang that the clam juice provides, but my favourite part of a Caesar drink is that it comes with hearty garnishes. A celery stick is traditional but many restaurants will up the ante with olives, pickles, pickled beans, or other fun garnishes. It’s a cocktail with a snack, what’s not to love!?
So I naturally had to veganize this drink in preparation for Canada day brunch (aka my predicted hangover). I made a recipe similar to this a long time ago but it was before I was really all about the fuss-free vegan lifestyle. The recipe involved steeping seaweed to get the brininess, a ton of ingredients, and way too much time. A lengthy process is not something I want when trying to cure a hangover, so I thought it was due time to rehash this recipe for Canada Day and make it super easy peasy, and super tasty wastey. (Tee hee)!
This time to get the brininess I came up with such a simple hack- use olive brine! (The liquid in a jar of olives). Not only is this an ingredient you will likely have hanging around, but it requires no work at all. Just stir that in with a nice store-bought vegetable juice cocktail which already comes with a ton of yummy flavours, far superior to just plain tomato juice, then a dash of hot sauce (or several if you are me), and of course, vodka, and I present you with a mighty fine vegan caesar cocktail!
To prepare a Vegan Caesar Cocktail: make the celery salt rim on the glass by running the lime wedge around the lip of a glass to wet the rim.
Sprinkle the celery salt on a small plate then flip the glass upside down and dip into the celery salt, turning to coat the rim as needed.
Fill the glass with ice, squeeze and drop in the lime wedge you used to rim the glass, then follow with the vegetable juice cocktail, vodka, olive brine, and hot sauce. Give it a stir and garnish with a grind of black pepper, a celery stick, and any bonus garnishes you like.
The Canadian classic drink veganized. The secret ingredient is olive brine (the liquid in a jar of olives) which adds a brininess to the cocktail which is irresistibly delicious. So quick and easy to whip up, it's the ultimate hangover cure. Perfect for Canada day!
- 1 lime wedge
- 1 tablespoon celery salt (or as needed)
- 2 handfuls ice cubes
- 6 oz vegetable juice cocktail (3/4 cup), (I used V8 juice)
- 1 oz vodka
- 1 teaspoon olive brine (the liquid in a jar of olives)
- several dashes hot sauce (I used Tabasco)
- fresh ground black pepper
- 1 celery stick
- pimento stuffed olives, spicy pickled bean, gherkin pickle, or other fun garnishes (optional)
Make the celery salt rim on the glass by running the lime wedge around the lip of a glass to wet the rim. Sprinkle the celery salt on a small plate then flip the glass upside down and dip into the celery salt, turning to coat the rim as needed.
Fill the glass with ice, squeeze and drop in the lime wedge you used to rim the glass, then follow with the vegetable juice cocktail, vodka, olive brine, and hot sauce. Give it a stir and garnish with a bit of black pepper, a celery stick, and any bonus garnishes you like.
Nutrition
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Bon appetegan!
Sam.
I use pickle brine as it is readily available, with a 50 / 50 mix of V8 and Clamato. You get a healthier cocktail and lemon juice can be used in a pinch, although if you have both lemon & lime it is is incredible! I call my creation the “Spicy Clam”
Sounds great!
I make this recipe of yours for my Canadian friends every New Year’s Day, but also enjoyed it today on this sunny Sunday Spring afternoon! ( and during this quarantine!)
Thanks for the best vegan recipes on the planet!
Aww shucks, you’re welcome 🙂
Omgosh I have not tasted this yet but can already know its delicious. I love V8 and celery but might even be tempted omit the vodka. Ty for sharing.
You can, of course, make a virgin version, and it would still be delish 🙂
Hi Sam,
I grew up in and around NYC and we had our beloved Bloody and Virgin Marys. My stepfather hails from Toronto. He calls this drink a Bloody Ceasar and I totally loved it, despite the whiff of clams in Clamato. Thanks for veganizing it.
Stacie
Haha, you’re most welcome, Stacie! I hope you love it 🙂
I was looking at pimento stuffed olives in the grocery today and one of the ingredients was lactic acid. Would that typically be non-dairy lactic acid?
Vegetarian Resource Group FAQ says lactic acid is vegan. Lactose is not.
“If it’s lactate or lactic acid, it’s not from dairy (exception – sterol lactate due to the stearic acid). “Lac” ingredients are usually produced by a fermentation process using cornstarch or beet sugar. Lactose is always from dairy.”
Lactic acid is vegan. You can read all about it here. 🙂
Looks and reads like my Bloody Mary. Congratulations on the olive brine. Dill pickle brine works well also.
Bloody mary’s are similar but different than caesars. The key is the briny flavour in the caesar. Enjoy!
Hi Sam! This looks amazing. Quick Q: what kind of olives did you use for the brine? I’m thinking that the brine from green olives with pimentos would work well (e.g. as in a martini) but would love to hear other suggestions. Thanks!
Any olive brine worked well, but that’s exactly the kind I used. Then I even used the olives as a garnish 🙂 Enjoy!